Ferrari confirms it didn’t prot FERRARI Sporting Director Stefano Domenicali has told reporters that his team did not protest Lewis Hamilton’s manoeuvre on Kimi Raikkonen at the Belgian Grand Prix. “Absolutely not, absolutely not,”he implored at a packed media conference. “We were summonsed by the stewards at the end of the race.” Domenicali, however, did not shy away from giving his own opinion on Hamilton’s antics in the race, which he described as being “extreme.” “Personally I think it was a little bit extreme,”he said. “It’s normal when you attack that you are racing but the problem is that the advantage that may take by doing a manoeuvre and this is the key point of it, so I think that’s the focus that has to be considered. “What is really the advantage that you are taking in such conditions that can be used in the second situation at the first corner? That, in my view, is the most important thing.” The Italian acknowledged that the fight for the title is at Alonso pleased with fourth THE ING Renault F1 Team had one of its most competitive weekends of the year, as Fernando Alonso brought his car home in a highly creditable fourth position. The Spaniard had qualified well on Saturday, and made the most of the confusing start to settle into a fourth place he held throughout the changeable conditions. Alonso could potentially have gone one better and finished on the podium following Kimi Raikkonen’s retirement, but with the rain falling the Spaniard took the decision of changing onto intermediate tyres for the very last lap, and ultimately saved himself the position onto which he had been holding all day. “We finished fourth after a difficult race with plenty of incidents,”he confirmed. “It’s a good result for the team, especially for our position 26 in the championship because our objective was to score some important points. We missed out on a podium today, but we have shown that we can be the third strongest team in the championship.” The points will do Renault much good as Toyota, whom Alonso claimed was the team’s greatest rival in 2008, failed to score at Spa. Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering at the team confirmed Alonso’s views. “Once again, unpredictability produced a superb race. It’s pleasing for us that the car was very quick in the dry conditions and that we achieved a good finishing position through fantastic driving from Fernando and good team work from everyone. Our target is fourth position in the championship and today was a good step towards that.” it’s closest for some time, and that the forthcoming races will be hotly contested between Ferrari and McLaren, in whom Domenicali insisted Ferrari held great respect. “To be honest, that shows how tense the championship is and how close it will be to the end. We know that they are very strong and we cannot